John Billington and His Family

As a new member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, I was thrilled to be able to sign up my 4 grandkids in the Junior Society.  I also wanted to share information about their ancestors, the John Billington family. 
Unfortunately, almost everything I found about him was written from a very negative point of view.  So I conducted a deep-dive search and found a very different picture of him than what William Bradford wrote.  (Imagine if your biggest enemy wrote your history for your descendants!)
Here is what I found about the John Billington family to share with their 13th great grandchildren:

In 1620, long ago when going to school was a luxury and there were no cars or planes for travel, 102 strong and adventurous men, women, and children left their warm homes and sailed on a small ship across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World.  They landed in what today we call Plymouth, Massachusetts where there were no friends to welcome them and no houses to protect them. 

Some left England because they wanted the right to worship God and pray without being told how to do it by the king.  Some left because they wanted a better opportunity for their children.

These Pilgrims included your ancestors, John and Elinor Billington and their teenage sons John, Jr. and Francis.  When half of the Pilgrims died from cold and thirst that first winter, our ancestors survived and tended to the sick by keeping them warm and fed – and did it without grumbling or complaining.

John Billington was one of those who signed the Mayflower Compact, the first American agreement that said all men had the right to vote for their leadership!  He was considered a friendly, fun man who laughed a little too much for 1620.  In fact, when the men were exploring the forest for a place to build their town, they came upon an Indian deer trap with a rope and a deep hole.  While one of the men was explaining what it was, William Bradford pushed his way through to see what it was. He stepped right into the trap which swung him upside down into the tree!  While everyone giggled, John Billington laughed the loudest!  Would you have laughed, too?

After more than 90 days cooped up in the Mayflower, young Francis was so bored he decided to have a little target practice!  In the wooden boat!  Near the powder kegs!  He could have blown up the whole ship, but he didn’t.

Once all the Pilgrims got off the Mayflower, John, Jr. spent his time hunting and exploring.  One time he wandered more than 30 miles away!  He was found by a warring Indian tribe who brought him back covered with beads and feathers.  This was the first time the Pilgrims got to meet with that tribe and pay for the corn they took when they first arrived.

Unfortunately, John Sr., who was protecting his land from a known poacher, shot at the man and nicked him in the shoulder.  He rushed him back to town where the man died, but not before the poacher told everyone that John had murdered him.  As a result, John was hung by William Bradford, the man who was swinging in the tree while John laughed. 

Later, when Elinor was a widow with 9 grandchildren, a newcomer demanded that he should have her land because she was old.  She wanted to give it to her family, but the town officials took it from her and gave it to him.  When Elinor complained to her friends about it, this newcomer sued her for slander!  And won!  She was whipped and fined for complaining about losing the land that she had earned as an original Pilgrim.  Would you have complained if they took your land?

The Billington family came from Lincoln County in England.  They had moved to London where John was a merchant whose business wasn’t doing so well.  That’s why he decided to take that huge risk and buy a one-way ticket to the New World for his family.  Aren’t you glad he did?  That’s why we are here!